Adjustments

We have made it to day five already!  The last few days have been a bit of an adjustment for everyone.  

This is the first time that my family has had two puppies living in our house.  Sure, we have puppy sat before, but even Dante knows it is different this time.  It has taken a few days, but I think we are settling into a routine.  

Dante was not quite sure what to make of Moray.  Somehow, he knew that Moray was here to stay.  Maybe it was because I brought him home, instead of like when Young was here, his people brought him.  Dante has been doing very well overall.  The first three days or so, he played a very little bit with Moray, but for the most part avoided him.  When they did interact, Dante was not sure what to do with the little ankle-biter.  He would give me the most confused look, and then gently nose Moray's belly, making him somersault.  

"Why did you do this to me, Mom?"

Pushing Moray over. 

Dante has been fantastic about sharing, and even leaves Moray's baby toys alone.  He has shown a little jealousy, like on Saturday, I was sitting on the floor with Moray, and called Dante "Here" from another room.  Dante came bounding around the corner, fully intending to comply until he spotted Moray in my lap, and then he turned and walked away.  Over the last couple days, he has been realizing that life continues on, he still gets his one-on-one training, cuddle, and public outing time with me, and he has been doing much better in that aspect.  

On Friday night Young's raisers invited Dante and I to attend a horse show with them.  Not only were all the distractions of people, horses, and pet dogs great for him, but it was his first time working alongside another Puppy in Training in public.  Both of them did fantastic!

 

Watching the warm up ring.  Unfortunately, the only picture I took.

Moray is your typical 8 week old puppy.  He is settling in pretty well.  He has been having a few accidents every day, but that has mostly been my fault.  But I can't say I'm not looking forward to when he can hold his bladder for more that 45 minutes!  ;-)  

On Friday, we took him to the vet just to weigh him (he doesn't weigh enough to activate our bathroom scale), and even though he had his first round of vaccines before he left CCI, they wanted to do an initial check up.

Moray is a very independent and feisty little guy!  He is learning not to throw a fit when he is confined to his X-pen, and not bark and whine when his leash prevents him from getting where he wants.  ;-)  He is getting very good at making eye contact when I call his name, has a good concept of "Hurry," and is learning "Sit."

He is obsessed with Dante's bone.

Too Much Excitment for One Night

Well, on Monday I had written a post all about how Dante's house manners are improving, and how is being allowed more freedom in the house.  It was all set to go until last night.  I promise I'll post it later, but for now...

Dante and I had a quiet day yesterday, just home doing school.   About 5:30, my mom, Dante and I left for a meeting at a church.  It was only a mile from our house so we decided to walk.  Dante did great while we were there.  It was a little more crowded then I expected, but he handled it all very well.  Dinner time for Dante was right in the middle of it.  These last two weeks I have been trying to mix up his schedule, so he won't get too set in his ways.  I decided to bring his food, and see what he thought of eating somewhere else.  He's part lab.  Need I say more?

Dante eating under the counter in a bathroom at the church.

We stayed for another forty-five minutes, so that his food could settle before we headed home.  I don't think we walked 1/4 mile before my mom and I looked at each other and said, "There is no way he is going to make it all the way home!"  He was so tired!  My mom called my dad to come pick us up, and Dante curled up in my lap right on the sidewalk:

We got home about 7:30, and Dante was let off-leash in the family and dining room.  Poor pup was so tired, I thought I'd be fighting to keep him awake until bedtime.  My dad and sister were in there with him while Mom and I went to get dinner.  About ten minutes later, I hear "DANTE, NO!"  Apparently, Dante had jumped up on the couch and grabbed the cat's toy that nobody realized was there.  It was a little stuffed monkey about 1 1/2 inches big.  By the time he let us catch him, it was gone.  I shoved my fingers all the way to his throat.  Too late. 

So, to the emergency vet we go.  We have never been there before, but we got there fine and Dante slept the whole way.  We arrived a few minutes after 8:00, got all signed in, and led to a room to wait for the vet.

Poor Dante just kept giving me this look that said Why are we somewhere else?  I just want to go to sleep!  Have I gotten across how tired he was?

Dante asleep, waiting to see the vet

 After talking to the vet and making the much dreaded anticipated call to CCI, they decided to induce vomiting.  The vet took him back, and within five minutes came back with monkey in hand. 

Dante at the counter, ready to go home.

 We got home about 10:40, and Dante went straight to bed.  I don't remember what they had to give him, but it made him extremely sleepy.  He slept until 7:00 this morning, ate, then has slept most of the day. 

Lessons learned:  1.  Don't dread the call to CCI, because they really are great (would you expect anything less from CCI?) and  2.  Sorry Jack, but all of your toys smaller then 6 inches are going in the trash.

Spring Time

 Dante and I took advantage of a beautiful spring day today, and got some pictures in-cape.  Enjoy!

The tongue...

Smelling the flowers...

...Eating the flowers

Goofball :-)

Look at how small his cape is getting.  He weighed in at 29.6 lb. at the vet yesterday!

How can this NOT make you smile?

First Vet Visit

Dante had his first visit to the vet yesterday!  Because we just moved, it was also our first time to our new vet's office.  They are GREAT!

Dante started his my day at 6:30 and we barely made our 9:15 appointment (if you're a puppy raiser, tell me; he did get a bath, but does it always take this long to get ready in the mornings, or do you get more efficient as the months go on ;) ??)! 

When we got there I asked him to "Hurry," and he did his business quickly and without sniffing any of the other droppings on the ground.  He definitely made me proud!  Since he is only 10 weeks, I carried him in and he sat squirmed on my lap the entire time we were waiting.  He is definitely not shy!

 

When he was called back and placed on the table he was really excited for about a 1/4 of a second then settled down and fell asleep!

Dante is still not eating all of his food, but he still weighs in at 17 pounds!!  He is such a charmer, and was sooo good the entire time, even when they had to take him in the back by himself, and throughout his whole check - up and shots, his tail never stopped wagging! 

Of course it did help that Dr. Murphy is the best!

Dante was so exhausted after such a busy morning, he pretty much slept the entire day and still didn't make a peep for seven hours last night! 

I am so proud of my little charge for being so independent and ready for new adventures, and I hope he'll always be that way, especially after his time with me is done.